


In Your Light

by lavenderhaaze



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22607440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderhaaze/pseuds/lavenderhaaze
Summary: AU in which Pam dumped Roy after their first date.When I'm in your lightAll of this is clear
Relationships: Pam Beesly/Jim Halpert
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter One

Chapter One

“Oh come on, Pam, Roy’s a nice boy.”

“I know, Dad, I’m going on the date. I just don’t think it’s going to be anything long term.” Pam rolled her eyes.

Roy was the golden boy around here, the son her parents always wished they had. Ever since he had started at the hardware shop, Pam’s parents had basically adopted him and were over the moon when he asked Pam out. He even asked her dad’s permission, for god’s sake! They promised to stay out of it (as Pam had convinced them that they couldn’t get to know each other romantically if her parents were breathing down their neck), but that didn’t change the fact that if her parents had never met Roy, she probably would have turned him down.

“He’s here!” Pam’s mom trilled. Penny popped her head into the living room as Helene ushered Roy in. He produced three bouquets from behind his back, and handed them out to Helene, Penny, and Pam, who accepted them with lessening degrees of smiles. 

“Sorry I don’t have anything for you sir, but I’m not allowed to buy any Miller yet,” Roy laughed, with William quickly joining in.

“That’s alright son, just that fact that you know that I’m a Miller man makes up for it.” He clapped Roy on the shoulder and they turned to Pam.

“Well, have her back by 10:00, alright son?” Roy grinned and wrapped an arm around Pam, nearly engulfing her. 

They were waved off happily by the beaming parents, and Roy paused as the door shut behind them.

“I hope you didn’t think I only got you the flowers,” he said. Pam looked up at him in surprise. “That was really just to impress your mom and sister. I got you some chocolates too.”

He dug out of his coat pocket a small heart shaped box, and Pam took them with a smile.

“That’s really sweet, Roy, thank you.”

“Literally,” he laughed, and Pam joined in. They reached his truck and Roy continued to impress as he took the time to open the door for her and help her in.

“Hey Pam!”

Pam started and turned to the back seat to see Roy’s little brother, Kenny, sitting there.

“Oh! Kenny! I didn’t know you were joining us.” Pam paused. “Nice to see you.”

Roy got into the driver’s seat. “Yeah, Kenny and I haven’t ever seen a hockey game without each other, so I kind of had to bring him along. But don’t worry, you won’t even notice him.”

Pam nodded and tried to relax. They were just going to their high school’s hockey game, but they had advanced into the playoffs, and Pam was actually interested. And if nothing else, she liked the nachos. As long as she got some nachos, the night wouldn’t be a failure. 

_____________________

“OH COME ON! THERE’S BARELY EVEN BLOOD!”

Pam cringed as Roy and Kenny screamed in her ear. The nachos had run out by this point, and in overtime with the score tied, things were tense. Pam squeezed Roy’s arm.

“Hey, my head is kind of hurting, I’m going to go to the bathroom, okay?” she shouted in his ear. 

“Yeah, alright- YES! THAT’S IT!” 

Pam rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs. At least overtime meant that it would be over soon. The bathroom was trashed by this point, and the sinks were domineered by teenagers doing their makeup. Pam dawdled, joining in on the lip gloss fun, and was debating nachos for the road when the buzzer sounded. Pam sighed with relief and struggled through the crowd back into the stadium where she left Roy and Kenny. She found the edge of the crowd and stood on the stands to try and spot them. No luck.

She followed the crowd to the parking lot and continued looking around as she headed towards where they parked. She must have gotten turned around, because she couldn’t spot Roy’s truck anywhere. She wrapped her coat tighter around her and started walking back towards the school, hoping the parking lot would clear and she would find them.

After a half hour, it was clear Roy left. Any stupid hope that Pam had was gone. She fished around in her purse for some change for the pay phone inside, and tapped her foot as it rang.

“Hello?”

“Penny! Are Mom or Dad awake? I need a ride home.”

“Pam? Are you okay? What happened?” Penny asked, turning down the TV. 

“Roy left me!” Pam exclaimed angrily. “I went to the bathroom, the game ended, and he and Kenny were gone!”

“Wait, Kenny?”

“Yeah, this date with prince charming mom and dad were so excited about? Came with his brother.”

“Jesus Christ.” Penny rolled her eyes and started getting her things together. “Mom and Dad went to bed about an hour ago, but I can pick you up.”

“Penny, you don’t have your license yet.”

“It’ll be fine! I’ll take the back roads, and then you can drive. I’ll be there in ten.”

_________________

“He barely even spoke to me!” Pam laughed. “I was seriously a third wheel on my own date.”

“That’s horrible!” Penny exclaimed. “What do you think Mom and Dad are going to do? Fire him?”

“Oh, please. Being a bad date doesn’t mean he should lose his job,” pointed out Pam. “If anything, it just gives me an excuse to quit the store.”

“Ugh, you’re so lucky,” Penny groaned. “You’re graduating, and you get out of Mom and Dad pushing Roy on you. What if they start on me next?!”

“Don’t be silly.” Pam slowly pulled into the drive and cut the lights to avoid alerting their parents. “Lackawanna College still isn’t a sure thing. I still haven’t talked Mom and Dad into letting me get a dorm instead of just commuting. And don’t worry about Roy. They’ll probably want Kenny for you instead.”

__________________

“So Pammy, how did it go?” Her mom asked the next morning. “Do we hear wedding bells?”

Pam snorted. “Seeing as he left me there? I think no.”

“What? What happened?” Her mom sat down and looked at her while her dad lowered his newspaper. “How did you get home?”

“Penny rescued me,” Pam said. “So don’t get mad at her for taking the car, get mad at Roy.”

“Well, I’m sure there was a reason,” her dad said, turning back to his paper. “Maybe he thought you ditched him.”

“I told him I was going to the bathroom, the game ended, and he left,” Pam said flatly. “There’s not much wiggle room there.”

“I’ll talk to him at the store,” Helene resolved. “I’m sure there was a misunderstanding.” 

“Or maybe Roy’s just a dick,” Penny muttered.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim begins his journey at Dunder Mifflin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I make the timeline work with me a little bit. The show contradicts itself as to who started first, and I decided it's Pam. We're hopping and skipping until we get to the film crew arriving, and this chapter takes place from November 1998 to December 1999. 
> 
> Also, I was born in 1996 and tried so hard with these 90's and early 2000's references. Please forgive me.

Chapter Two

“Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.”

“Hi, could I speak to your hiring manager?”

“Of course, can I get your name?”

“Jim Halpert. I’m calling about a sales position I heard about at the University of Pennsylvania job fair.”

“Okay, I’ll transfer you to our manager, Michael Scott.”

_________

“Pamela! New guy starts today, you excited?” Michael bounded out of his office and over to her desk. “New blood in the office. Young blood. Better not be a vampire!”

“That’s not something you should joke about, Michael,” Dwight said seriously. “They are one of four serious threats to our society.” 

Pam rolled her eyes. Dwight had been especially paranoid about the supernatural ever since he helped Michael film the new guy’s training video. Michael and Dwight dissolved into bickering in the background and Pam tried to refocus her attention on her tasks. People filed past, saying quiet hellos, until one paused in front of her. She looked up and smiled.

“Hi, how can I help you?”

“Jiiiiiiiiim Halpert!”

He turned and smiled at Michael jogging towards him. 

“Mr. Scott, nice to see you again,” he said, extending his hand. Michael guffawed and took it. 

“Just call me Scott. James Scott!”

Jim furrowed his brow. “Oh, I thought your name was-“

“Michael…” Pam sighed. 

Michael cleared his throat and turned so that he and Jim were facing the bullpen.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you all to a very valuable new member of our team, Mr. James D Halpert!”

He started to clap and the others in the office mildly joined in. Jim gave a half smile and a wave and said, “Just Jim is fine, actually.”

“Oh, well okay, Just Jim!” Michael laughed. “Conference room, five minutes everybody!” 

He hopped back into his office to prepare for what he thought would be his best performance yet, abandoning Jim at reception. 

“Hi,” Pam said, coming around to the other side of the desk. “I’m Pam. I’m the one that answered the call that made you have to work here.”

Jim laughed. “I don’t think it’ll be that bad.”

Pam gave him a look. “I’ll just say this. Enjoy this moment, because you're never going to go back to this time before you met your desk-mate, Dwight.”

Dwight stood as they approached and extended his hand firmly, which Jim shook. “Dwight K Schrute. Beet farmer by trade, top salesman of this branch by second trade. If you present adequate competition, I will respect you. If you do not, then I have no time for you.”

Jim nodded. “Well, good to meet you too, Dwight. Looking forward to sitting near each other.”

_______________________

“Pam, are you okay?”

Pam blinked. Jim was standing in front of her desk staring at her in half amusement, half concern. She looked back to the phone she just hung up, and then up to Jim. She frowned and walked into Michael’s office, Jim following.

“Michael, did you promise 18 kids that you would pay their college tuition?”

Jim’s eyes popped open and Michael grinned.

“Why yes I did, Pam.” He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “And you know what? That is absolutely what is wrong with this country. Nader, Y2K. We put absolutely no faith in our children-“

“Okay, but Michael, do you understand how much that’s going to cost?” Pam asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, Pam, what does a smile cost?” Michael asked. “Someone’s happiness? The cure for cancer?”

“Well, you don’t know for sure-“

“No, no, no, you know what?” Michael stood and walked out into the office. “When was the last time anyone here did something good for someone? That is the problem that we are facing in today’s world. The rich get richer, and no one is out here paying for these kids’ degrees!”

“Oscar,” Jim said. “How much do you think college tuition for 18 kids would cost in ten years?”

“With a steady rate of inflation, probably a quarter of a million dollars.”

“What is going on?” Dwight asked. “Michael, are you adopting a child?”

“Yes,” Michael said. “But also no.”

“He promised a class at the elementary school that he would pay for all of their colleges,” Pam explained.

The office volume level rose as everyone began admonishing Michael. Stanley started giggling, and it quickly became a bout of hysteria when Michael started yelling.

“Alright, you know what? You know what? You people are ruining all of the joy and the happiness that I have created today.” He went to his office and took his coat. “I am going to go to the park, and I am going to look at all of those beautiful children that I have impacted so greatly. And you can all suck it.”

He stomped out of the office and Jim and Pam turned to look at each other. 

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I definitely need lunch after all that,” Jim laughed. “Want to join me?”

Pam nodded and stood. “Yeah, Michael craziness always seems to cause a drop in my blood sugar.”

“Oh, is that why you always have candy at your desk?”

Pam laughed as they took their lunches from the fridge. She poked holes in her microwave meal, and Jim unwrapped his ham sandwich as he leaned against the counter next to her. 

“You know, if you ever wanted a homemade meal, I could whip you up one of my famous ham and cheese sandwiches.” Jim offered. 

“Your signature sandwich?” Pam asked. “You’ve been working here for six months and that’s the only thing I’ve ever seen you eat. Are you sure it’s not just the only thing you know how to make?”

Jim put a hand to his heart. “Wow, Beesly, really? You only ever bring TV dinners for lunch.”

“Because I’m using up all of my culinary skills with dinner!” Pam protested. “I have chicken tortilla soup in my crock-pot right now, ready to eat in four and a half hours.”

“Oh, well this I need proof of-“

“Hey Pam, how was your date with Ben?” Kelly interrupted, entering the kitchen. 

“A bust,” Pam laughed. “He was nice to look at though, thanks for the set-up.”

“Ooh, did you guys kiss?”

“Maybe a little,” Pam dished. “But I’m sure he knows it was just a fling. Definitely no love connection there.”

“Don’t worry,” Kelly reassured her. “I’m sure I’ll find someone for you as perfect as my man.”

“Oh, how are things going with Matt?”

“Oh my god Pam, he is so dreamy!” Kelly squealed. “He got me chocolates on our last date!! He’s out of town this weekend though, and I just think it’s so soon to leave in our relationship! What if he meets some girl at his family reunion? He could forget all about me, Pam!”

“I really don’t think that he’s going to meet someone at his family reunion,” Pam said.

“I don’t know,” Jim said, “there might be a third cousin.”

“No!”

____________________

“Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.”

“Pam, I need your help.”

“Michael? What’s wrong?”

“Just… just please come into my office.”

Pam sighed and knocked on his door. There was a muffled acknowledgement and she entered to see Michael with his head buried in his arms.

“Did something happen, Michael?”

He looked up, despair in his eyes. “I have just been told that Dunder Mifflin does not have Y2K blocking software. And. We. Are. All. Screwed.”

Pam’s Y2K headache came out of hibernation. It had formed when Phyllis forwarded an email to everyone about all of the computers glitching at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The office had essentially closed for the rest of the day, as calls were sent to voicemails as everyone did extensive research on the validity of the claim. Eventually things were calmed when Michael panicked and bought protection software off of eBay. It definitely worked. Sometimes their cursors disappeared, but it totally worked. 

“No, Michael, remember the email from Jan,” Pam reassured him. “She said not to worry about it. We all decided that they had newer computers, so that wouldn’t affect them. Remember? You met with the CFO and he had a really nice computer?”

“No, no, I just talked to Jan and asked if her software was working okay, and she started to yell at me, and then she said that there was never. Any software. At all.”

Micheal gave a big sigh and stood up, passing Pam and entering the office. “Okay, everyone, change of plans. The Christmas party is over.”

Angela scoffed angrily. “It hasn’t even started yet! You can’t cancel it until you try it!”

“Well, we can’t afford it, Angela!” Michael yelled. “We can’t afford any of this anymore! Because come New Year’s Eve, midnight, this is all going to hell!”

“Michael, we’ve been over this,” Oscar tried. “We compromised about the software-”

“But not corporate!” Michael rebutted. “Not the heart and soul of the company! All of the notes and files of the whole company will be gone!”

“Michael, I know exactly what to do,” Dwight said, rising from his desk. “Coming January 1st, life as we know it is over. We need survival preparedness, and I only need 20 minutes to give it to you.” 

“Yes, go,” Michael commanded. Dwight ran out of the office. “Christmas and presents will mean nothing once we are all out of jobs. And I am giving you the best gift of all: the gift of life.”

______________________________

“Hi-yah!”

“Ow!”

Pam glanced up to see Dwight beat Meredith in a game of ninja again. Turns out survivalist training did include some fun games.

“What’s that?”

Pam minimized her browser window and turned around to see Jim. “Um, solitaire.”

He frowned and walked to the other side of the desk. Pam slid over to block him from the computer.

“Pam, tell me you aren’t worried about this.”

“I don’t know!” she said defensively. “Michael’s kind of right. There is an entire department of the government working on this.” 

He leaned against her desk and crossed his arms. “Look, I promise you this is nothing. Computers are smart. It makes no sense that they would do this.”

Pam nodded. “Yeah. You’re right. Bill Gates is smart, right?”

“Of course,” He agreed. “Super smart guy. Totally thought of this problem.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” she agreed. 

“Yes. Now, come on, Dwight is about to start a campfire.”

______________________________________________

A quick trip to the store for s’more ingredients made the party turn out pretty nice. Angela patrolled the fire area, and with the stereo from the warehouse playing Christmas music, she was happy. They had hot chocolate to keep them warm in addition to the fire, and Kelly and Oscar had set up a dance floor in one of the parking spots. 

“I’ll miss this.” Michael had come to sit in a folding chair next to Pam. He had moved from panic to a sad acceptance. “No more Christmas. No more Stanley. Thank god no more Toby though.”

Pam rolled her eyes. “It’s gonna be okay, Michael. January 3rd, we’ll all see each other at the office, like usual.”

“Well, of course Monday will be normal,” Dwight scoffed. “It’ll take more than three days for total societal collapse. Without computers, we’ll last a good five days before we resort to cannibalism.”

Michael nodded sadly. “Creed won’t last a week.”

“Creed will last 15 days. His ferocity will aid him in the beginning before old age wins out,” Dwight disagreed. He looked at Pam with a gleam in his eye. “Pam, you will do well. So long as there is… a male to protect you.”

Pam glared at him and got up to walk over to Jim. “Dwight needs a prank.”

“Well, I’m already working on coordinating it so that everyone but Michael and Dwight don’t show up on the 3rd,” Jim said, thinking. “But we can work on something more immediate. Any ideas?”

“Catching him on fire?” Pam offered. Jim laughed. 

“What about….. Ooh, I’ve got it.” 

They went inside to the security guard, who Jim managed to convince to give him the keys to the basement (in exchange for a s’more). They went back outside and over to Dwight.

“Dwight, there you are, finally.” Jim said. “I was just telling Hank about this whole Y2K mess, and he told me that there’s a food bank in the basement. Now, I know your food bank is pretty top notch, do you think you can come take a look?”

“Absolutely,” Dwight said, pushing past them to head inside. Jim and Pam followed, grinning. “It’s good that all of you city slickers have a food source, because you’re not getting access to mine.”

They reached the basement door and with Pam blocking the light switch outside of the room, Jim unlocked it and held the door open for Dwight. “I think the light switch is just along the wall. I’ll hold the door open.”

With Dwight sufficiently down the stairs and feeling along the wall, Jim swung the door shut and locked it. Jim and Pam smiled at each other as Dwight started yelling.

“I should probably turn the light on,” Pam said regretfully. “Though he was really gross.”

“He’ll be fine,” Jim said as he led her away, though there was a twinge of guilt that made him reach back and flip the switch. “I’ll mention it to Hank before we leave.”

Pam laughed. It was a fun Christmas.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 2000 - February 2001

Chapter Three

It was finally Friday. The total meetings for that week got up to 12, and only one of them (Toby’s annual sexual harassment seminar) was on the calendar at the start of the week. Michael’s protest to Toby’s meeting lasted two meetings, as Michael forgot his ukulele at home. 

“So, any big plans this weekend?” Jim asked as he stopped at Pam’s desk on his way out, as had become his routine. 

Pam nodded. “Yeah, Adam wanted to go to the Highlands festival in Wilkes-Barre. It sounds like it should be fun.”

“You do love a good festival,” Jim said with a smile. “How many craft stalls are you going to buy out this time?”

“You have to support local artists!” Pam turned off her monitor and started to gather her things. “I’m hoping I can find a cool tartan scarf at this one.”

“What about sampling some artisanal haggis?” he teased. 

“What size are you? I’ll get you a kilt.”

“Oh god, don’t even say it,” Jim groaned as he held the door open for her. “Did you know my dad actually owns one? He wore it to both of my brothers’ weddings and swears he’ll wear it when Larissa or I get married.”

Pam laughed. “Sounds like the loophole there is to just never get married.”

“I think that may be Larissa’s plan,” he admitted. The elevator dinged and they entered, along with Dan and Meredith. “And eventually the lack of grandchildren from her will make him drop the kilt.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Meredith said with a grin. Pam wrinkled her nose. 

“Any weekend plans for you?” she asked Jim, trying to change the subject. 

“Nothing nearly as exciting as haggis and bagpipes,” he said. They exited the elevator and building, Jim’s steps slowing, a habit that had formed. The setting sun shone in his eyes as Pam turned towards him. 

“I’ll see you Monday,” she said, smiling. “Don’t do anything too crazy.”

“You know me, Beesley.” Jim looked at her over the roofs of their cars. “Too wild to be contained.”

————————————————————-

Pam entered the break room with her container of leftover barbecue chicken and cauliflower rice. It was a new recipe, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it, but she made enough for at least two lunches and a dinner, so she had to eat it. Or at least that’s what the responsible adult in her brain told her. 

Jim smiled at her, struggling to keep his mouth closed around his ham and cheese sandwich. She grinned and sat down next to him, stealing one of his chips. 

“Long morning?”

“Michael was way too inspired by the Hershey factory tour,” Pam groaned. The First Quarter Leadership Trip had taken place at the Hershey chocolate factory this past weekend, and the free chocolate had made it a pretty fun trip. “It was really nice meeting Amy, by the way.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you guys got along. Good seeing more of Adam too.”

“Maybe we could double date sometime,” Pam suggested. “It’d be nice to have a couple friend that’s not my sister and the random guys she dates.”

Jim gave a weak laugh. When things had started to get serious between Pam and Adam, he knew this silly crush on Pam had to stop. It wasn’t like they could even date anyway, since corporate had a no tolerance policy for inter-office relationships. It just couldn’t happen. So, he put himself out there and met Amy. She was nice, funny, and sweet. Jim was happy with her. Pam was just his work wife. 

“I’ll ask Amy if she has any ideas in mind,” he said, shaking his head of any doubts. “I know she had a great time hanging out with you guys too. She was actually happy after spending the day in the same group as Michael.”

Pam laughed. It was nice having a best friend at work. She and Jim got along really well, and just understood each other. She knew when Jim needed a candy bar pick me up, and he knew when to intervene when Michael hovered too close to her desk for too long. If corporate policy wasn’t what it was, she may have explored what else was there, but it just didn’t make sense to think about what couldn’t be. Adam was great. He was also an artist, and they met at an art show they both were involved in. They had great discussions on Picasso and Basquiat. It was fun.

“Hey, Michael’s calling a meeting,” Toby said from the doorway. “I told him he couldn’t interrupt your break, but he started yelling, so you can just go back to it afterwards, I guess.”

Jim and Pam rolled their eyes and packed up their lunches. Pam grabbed Jim’s chips to snack on during the meeting, and they made their way into the conference room. 

Michael had set up a whiteboard at the front of the room and stock photos of people smiling with pets were scattered on the wall behind it.

“Are we playing Pictionary?” Jim asked as he took his seat. 

“No Jim, this is serious,” Michael said. “Morale has been so low lately. We had such a nice day on Friday at the chocolate factory, and what are we now? Back at work, all glum and tired, working for the weekend. That is absolutely no way to run an office. We need something in here to brighten our lives, something we can look forward to seeing every day. Which is why we are getting an office pet!”

Pleased murmurs ripples throughout the room, as well as surprise that Michael wasn’t suggesting something unpleasant. 

“Michael, I don’t know-“ Toby tried to protest, but Michael cut him off. 

“Studies show that people with pets are happier!” Michael insisted. “Now, come on, everyone call out the pet that you have always wanted to have.”

“Cat,” Angela said immediately.

“Dog!” Phyllis offered. 

“Phoenix.”

The suggestions continued until everyone had yelled out at least one answer with Michael writing them on the board. The final tally ended with 9 cats, 7 dogs, 3 birds, 2 fish, 1 phoenix, and 1 manatee. 

“I’m sorry Michael, but we can’t have a cat running around the office,” Toby said, moving to the front of the room. “We can do something quiet, like a fish or a turtle, but no mammals.”

“Plus, fish would be so nice to look at, Michael,” Pam pointed out. Realistically, she knew that fish were the right option for an office pet. A dog would have been really fun, though.

“We can get piranhas,” Dwight suggested. He leaned over to Catherine and hissed at her. She scowled at him. 

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Michael said, clapping his hands. “We are going to take an hour and everyone go look up the coolest fish you can find.”

The conference room emptied, most going to their desks in excitement. Pam perused Google Images for the most colorful fish, while Jim looked for one to match the exact mustard of Dwight’s tie. The office was quiet for the rest of the hour as everyone either researched or played games on their computer. Pam printed off pictures of everyone’s choices, and in an hour and a half they were carpooling to a pet store. Dwight had selected a top of the range tank and filtration system, and they had to drive to the next town over to find a pet store that sold it. 

“Can I help you?” an employee asked Pam as the rest of the group headed directly to the aquatic section. 

“Yes, we were hoping to get some office fish like these,” she said, handing the folder of pictures to him. He took it and they started walking.

“Well unfortunately, some of these fish are very exotic and not suitable for aquariums,” he said, flipping through them. “We do have some of these, though.” 

They reached the aquatic section and some unhappy Dunder Mifflin employees who had discovered that their fish were not in stock. 

“Why don’t we just get one of each?” Pam suggested. “Dwight, how big is our tank?”

“80 gallons,” he said, slapping the box next to him. “Top of the line. No dead fish in this bad boy.”

Everyone was pleased with their assortment of fish in the end. Pam knew she would have to watch Dwight from putting a piranha in there later, but overall it was a happy group that left the store. Those that had remained at the office cleared off the filing cabinets next to the conference room for the tank to go on, and once the fish were happily in their new home, they went through and named each one, with Oscar placing “Hi, my name is…” stickers on the tank. 

——————————————————

“Hey, how are you doing?” Jim asked as Pam stared at the buttons on the vending machine. She shrugged and turned to look at him.

“Oh, you know. My boyfriend broke up with me two days before Valentine’s, and now I’m planning a mass funeral for 20 fish.”

“Yeah, who knew that everyone in the office feeding them every day would kill them?” Jim slipped a dollar into the vending machine and the candy that Pam had idly been pushing the button for fell.

“I’m really sorry, by the way,” he said. “Adam’s a dick.”

“Yeah.” Pam sat down and started unwrapping the candy bar. Jim sat down next to her. “I didn’t think we were going to get married or anything. But he was fun to hang out with. And right before Valentine’s? Really? Did he not want to buy me anything?”

“Some people are just assholes,” Jim said, putting a hand on her arm. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“Oh my god Pam, did you and Adam break up?” Kelly gasped as she entered the break room. Pam nodded and Kelly rushed over to hug her. 

“That really sucks,” Catherine said from another table. Pam smiled at her. They didn’t talk much as Catherine was sequestered away in the annex with the rest of the team from quality assurance, but they had sat together in the kitchen occasionally as they hid from Michael and Creed respectively. 

“We should have a girls night!” Kelly exclaimed. “Drinks and karaoke!”

Catherine shrugged. “I could use a drink.”

Pam hesitated and looked at Jim. He gave her arm a squeeze and stood up.

“Well, sounds like you guys are going to have a great night. Maybe Oscar and Stanley would do a karaoke guys night with me.”

Jim left the room to Kelly and Catherine descending on Pam to plan their night. He pulled out his phone and texted Amy.

‘Dinner tonight?’

—————————-

“It sucks!” Pam declared, finishing off her second margarita. “I had his present and everything! And you know what? I’m using those brushes MYSELF.”

“Yeah!” Kelly cheered her on. “I told the lady at the store that the giant chocolate heart was for my husband, but you know what? I ate it all myself!”

“Guys suck!” Pam declared. 

“Yeah, and you know what?” Catherine said. “Even when they say they love you, they still won’t tell anyone you’re dating!”

“Booo!!!” Kelly said with her thumbs down. “Screw that guy! Prince Charming didn’t hide Cinderella away after they got married! She was a princess, damn it!”

“Yeah, that is not cool,” Pam said sympathetically. “Why wouldn’t he want to tell anyone about you? You’re great! He should want to tell everyone!”

Catherine nodded, determined. “You know what? I’m going over there, and I am giving him an ultimatum.”

Pam and Kelly gave her a round of applause. Catherine stood up, stumbled a bit, and Pam caught her. 

“Okay, why don’t we call you a cab and you can go over there,” she suggested. Catherine nodded and gave Pam her phone. Kelly helped her into her coat while giving her tips like a boxing trainer. Well, if anyone had good advice about giving men ultimatums, it was Kelly.

——————————————

It was the next morning and Pam had a hangover. She had tried to maintain a quiet morning, but Toby had just asked her to join a private meeting to take notes. She looked up to see Toby head into the conference room and she grabbed her notepad and pen to follow.

“Is everything okay?” Pam asked as she watched Toby close the blinds. He shrugged.

“Just some corporate stuff. Hopefully it shouldn’t take long.” There was a knock on the door, and Catherine and Dan from sales were standing in the doorway, looking trepidious. Toby turned to Pam. “Could you go get Michael?”

She nodded and gave a nervous smile to the pair as she slipped by them. Michael looked up at Pam’s light tap on his open office door.

“Oh god, this already?” He said, sighing. “Fine, let’s hear what Toby has to say.”

A few minutes later the five of them were all settled around the conference table. Toby cleared his throat.

“Well, I’m sure it’s not a surprise what this is about,” he started. “Michael, Dan emailed me this morning informing me that he and Catherine have been dating for the past year. Now obviously, this is against company policy, and you are either going to have to terminate your relationship with each other or with the company.”

Pam’s jaw dropped. Catherine’s eyes welled up and Dan’s face turned red with anger while Michael buried his head in his arms.

“Seriously?” Dan said. “What gives this company a right to dictate who I spend my personal time with?”

“It is in your contract,” Toby pointed out. “And we’re not saying what you have to do in your relationship, just that your relationship with each other and Dunder Mifflin can’t exist at the same time.”

“So what?” Catherine asked. “We either break up or quit? You can’t force us to do that. You’ll have to fire me before I go anywhere.” 

“We’re not forcing you to do anything, it’s a choice-“

“Yeah, a choice of whether I’ll let a company dictate my personal life!” Dan yelled. “We’re not quitting and we’re not breaking up. Your choice, Toby.”

Toby sighed and glanced at Pam taking notes. “Okay. Dan, Catherine, you’re fired.”

Catherine left the room in silence and went to the annex to pack her things.

“You’ll regret this,” Dan said, pointing in Toby’s face before exiting. 

Pam looked at Toby and Michael, who were sitting there in silence. 

“Toby, I need the room.” Michael said, uncharacteristically quiet. Toby left and Pam started to get up when Michael stopped her. 

“Michael, are you okay?”

He shook his head and rubbed his hands on his face. “Pam, how could Dunder Mifflin do that? Could they do that to me?”

“Well, are you dating anyone in the company?” Pam asked uncomfortably. 

“No, but what if my soulmate walks through that door one day?” he asked miserably. “What do I do? I put my heart into this company, but I want my body to belong to a woman.”

“Okay,” Pam said, inching away. “I’m sure that won’t happen. Plus, Dan and Catherine still get severance. They didn’t quit, they made Toby fire them. So it’s not all bad.”

“You really think so?” Michael asked, looking up. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Pam said as she got up, eager to leave the room. “I think I can hear the phone ringing, I should go.”

“Wait-“

Pam walked quickly to her desk and sat down. She was saved from answering questions as Dan had informed them all as he cleared out his desk what an awful company Dunder Mifflin is, and it would be in all of their best interests if they all found new jobs. Catherine emerged from the annex with a cardboard box and a tear stained face. She and Dan left the office and Pam snuck out behind them, stopping them at the elevators.

“Hey,” she said, touching Catherine’s arm to get her attention. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry if anything I said last night led to this. I didn’t realize it was this complicated.”

Catherine gave her a small smile. “This is a shitty job anyway. Maybe it’s for the best.”

“Plus we’re going to sue their asses,” Dan added. “This rule is ridiculous.”

The elevator dinged and Pam stepped back as the couple got on. 

“Well, good luck,” she said earnestly. “If you ever need a statement, you know where to find me.” 

——————————————————-

“So corporate just wants me to remind everyone of our no tolerance policy of interoffice relationships, and of course, relationships between bosses and employees are completely forbidden.”

Dwight raised his hand. “What is the difference between forbiddance and no tolerance?”

“Just don’t do it,” Michael said, standing up. He had let Toby lead the meeting for a grand total of five minutes, which Pam felt was a new record. “We are a family, and families cannot date each other. So if anyone hears anything about creepy uncle Toby, report it right away so he can be fired. End of meeting!”

Michael led the herd of workers fleeing the conference room. Jim sat down at his desk and stared at his email, deep in thought. He felt bad for Dan and Catherine. The whole situation was a mess, but he didn’t blame them for anything they did. Hell, he probably would have done the same. To stop someone from being with who they love… but it didn’t matter. Other than the absurd policies, this was a good job to have. He made good commission and met his best friend there. Plus, Amy didn’t work there, so he didn’t have anything to worry about. It was just unfortunate. 

“Oh my god Pam, can you believe that?” Kelly said, coming over to Pam’s desk. “Let’s go to Poor Richard’s, I need to hear everything that happened in that meeting.”

“I don’t know, Kelly,” she said awkwardly. “It’s been a long day, I’d just rather go home.”

“Okay,” Kelly said in disappointment. “Maybe I’ll call the guy from the bar last night instead.”

“Sounds good,” Pam said as Kelly walked away. She looked up to where Jim was flipping through papers at his desk. It was time for ice cream and wine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this took so long to post! Busy weekends followed by just being nervous about this chapter since it's kind of sad. But don't worry, because as always, good things are coming.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fic in a while, and first on AO3! I've watched The Office since 2012, and on my last rewatch I just kept thinking about what it would have been like if Pam had dumped Roy after that awful first date. So expect a more confident Pam, and my interpretation of what could have happened while still staying close to the stories of Dunder Mifflin. Some lines are written verbatim from the show, and obviously events are as well. This is my first story I haven't plotted out point by point, so I'm excited to go on this journey with you and see where the story takes us!


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